Parent MCAS Info Sessions Poorly Attended; Action Plan to Improve Scores in the Works

School officials said informational MCAS meetings, designed to help parents understand student scores, have been sparsely attended across the district.

MCAS scores were released state-wide on Sept. 14; parents received their students' individual scores on Sept. 21.

The Salem Academy Charter School was listed as a "Commendation School," recognized by Gov. Deval Patrick for "academic growth and continued success in closing achievement gaps."

Salem Public Schools performed at a level 3 on last year's MCAS tests, the lowest category for school districts that are not in a special category of state involvement in managing the district.

The school district and each of the city's schools arranged meetings so that parents at each school would have the opportunity to ask questions and receive assistance in interpreting their student's scores.

At an Oct. 4 School Committee meeting, Assistant Superintendent Steven O'Brien said the informational sessions were intended to explain to parents what scores indicated about student performance and growth.

"[Attendance has been] very light," O'Brien said.

"I hope that doesn't mean people aren't paying attention to it," he continued. "We're all interested in understanding what the scores mean."

At a Sept. 20 meeting, School Committee member James Fleming told O'Brien he was "very much interested in an explanation as to why these numbers of the district drag" and said "these numbers concern me for this district."

School Committee members said informational sessions might garner more attention if  held on nights when parents are already attending school events, such as PTO meetings.

On Oct. 4, Superintendent of Schools William Cameron said he plans to discuss MCAS scores in detail at the next School Committee meeting. A plan of action, designed to improve scores within each school and across the district, will be discussed at the following meeting.

O'Brien said parents can look at their children's scores online. Parents looking to learn more about their children's scores can learn more at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Web site at http://www.doe.mass.edu.